I always said I was really happy to have had only girls, because I would never make a good “boy daddy”. When I grew up in Germany, I was trained in what is generally perceived to be ‘sissy stuff’ here in North America – ballroom dancing, ice dancing, and riding. I would have been lost having to take my male children to early morning hockey tournaments, baseball games, or football camp. (not to mention that I truly enjoy watching sports where every single competitor does something…

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I have a client who is having problems that some of you also may have experienced. She has a horse with an old injury at the withers which, with pressure from any saddle over time with repeated contact created immense pain for him, which eventually resulted in him bucking off the rider. He is now pain free, has had Mesotherapy, and has shown that he (at this moment) is not in pain but has now a learned behavior to not tolerate anything on his back, any saddle etc. He is still bucking and…

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Today’s blog is written (with some judicious editing) by my good friend Dr. James Warson MD, author of “The Rider’s Pain Free Back” and a recent addition to Barnmice as an expert.  I wanted to share with you this extraordinary man’s thoughts on his passion, what makes him so absolutely unique in this industry and the role he plays in the team of horse, rider, and saddle.

 

“Rider health is what I do. It’s the application of medical knowledge, combined with knowledge of…

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This is an issue which has arisen time and time again – I hear it all the time. “I bought a custom saddle [note on  tangent – there is a lot of misconception of what truly construes ‘custom’ anything – but I digress] and I expect it to fit me and my horse for as long as we live and never need adjusting”.  Okay, that’s a bit exaggerated, but I think you may understand where I’m going with this. True, you may be lucky and find a saddle that you feel is comfortable for you and you feel…

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For this blog I’m going to try something a little different – I have invited my wife Sabine to take the floor – and be warned; this is going to be a pretty blatant pitch for the difference a female saddle can make to your comfort and riding!

Hi – this is Sabine Schleese writing to you; this guest appearance is actually due to a conversation I have recently…

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I have had a client who questioned the appearance of blisters after riding, which then disappear again after about 20 minutes. I suggest the following might be happening. The spinal vertebrae have three processes. Between the spinal processes, you will find the spinal dorsal ligament system . There should never be any pressure on the spinal vertebral processes, however, if you have a saddle which has a too… Continue